Review: Platypus Tokul XC 8 Hydration Pack

A short while back we sent Ben Adams the Platypus Tokul XC 8 Hydration pack to see what he made of it. The time has come for him to publish his thoughts!

First Impressions

This hydration pack is the top of the line in the XC line in Platypus’ range. I had high expectations from this bag and looked forward to getting to know it a bit better.

The first thing that stood out was the colour, I wasn’t a fan to start off with but it has grown on me since I’ve been using it. The shape of the bag is certainly interesting. The bag is significantly bigger at the top than at the bottom. more on this later...

Bladder

The bag comes with a bladder included which is a nice touch as these can be expensive. The bladder is easy to fill up as all that is needed is to slide off a plastic lock and then pull apart the top as you would with a zip lock style bag, the instructions say to tip it upside down to check that it is secure although this seemed unnecessary as 99 times out of 100 it already was.

I preferred this method to the Camelbak style that I was used to as it can be difficult to remove the lid if it was done up super tight previously. A nice touch is the ability to disconnect the hose with the press of a button making it ideal for cleaning. The mouth piece is quite big and you can lock and unlock it by biting down and turning it left or right depending on your desired result.

However, it can be a bit fiddly putting the bladder into the pack for 2 reasons. The first reason being the size of it.  I get the feeling the bladder was obviously designed to go into a much bigger bag and so to get it in there you may need to undo the top of the bladder and push the air out, you then need to fold it over onto itself. Its certainly a bit of a squeeze.

The next reason is that the plastic bit at the top of the bladder has 2 holes in that enable you to secure it to the rest of the pack. It's a good idea but it can be difficult to push the plastic bits through the holes. The hose can be run to come down your left or right shoulder based on your personal preference which is always a useful feature.

The Pack

As I mentioned before, the bag is bigger at the top than the bottom. This does make the storage space seem smaller than it would the other way around or if it was a more rectangular shape but it does mean that the internal pockets are right at the top making it easier to access stuff. I found it useful for energy gels and tyre levers and patches as well as my phone; it would be nice to see a padded or waterproof pouch for electrical things though this would take up space and add weight. I didn’t have any issues with waterproofing but I wasn’t going to stand in a downpour with my phone in it to test it either. There is also a sleeve for pumps though it is quite small and I had trouble putting in a large pump that I have, though a more conventional one pump fitted fine.

On the outside of the pack is an elasticated pocket which I found little use for as it is too small for things like pads and the lack of security at the top means that smaller things could fall out.

Around the pack are 4 elastic loops designed as ‘lash points’. I found the top 2 useful for securing my helmet too on the way to the trails though I have no idea what could be attached to the other two, maybe someone reading has an idea?

The straps are worthy of a mention purely for being so soft and flexible, they are the most comfortable straps I have used. I was initially worried about durability here but they aren’t showing any signs of wear so it doesn’t appear to be a real problem. The chest strap is designed to be done up with one hand and although this does work I can’t see any reason for this to be needed, especially because the waist strap will definitely need 2 hands to do up.

On the trail

I don’t have much to say here, mostly because it is almost unnoticeable on your back, which has to be a good thing.

The straps keep it from flapping about and the lack of weight at the bottom probably helps with this, as well as keeping everything cool. The big loops on the zips help when trying to open with gloves as well.

The colour also means your friends are unlikely to lose you and in the unlikely event of the former happening, the helicopter will be able to spot you from a mile off.

Bright, light and has loads of features despite it's small footprint. A great option if your looking for a hydration pack and don't need loads of further storage!

Find out more about the Platypus Tokul XC 8 Here...